Rep. John
LaBruzzo's plan to randomly
test a fifth of the state's welfare recipients for the use of illegal
drugs, was approved by a Senate committee Wednesday, but the Metairie
lawmaker's measure makes no more sense now than it did when he failed
to get it through the Louisiana Legislature in 2009 and 2010 Full
story »

BATON ROUGE-- A Senate committee has
approved a Metairie lawmaker's proposal to require drug testing of
welfare recipients, despite concerns the bill may be unconstitutional.
Republican John LaBruzzo says the courts should decide whether it will
be overturned, similar to a program in Florida. At issue is whether the
proposal authorizes search and seizure without probable cause. LaBruzzo
says random... Full
story »

BATON ROUGE -- A Jefferson Parish lawmaker is hoping he can
persuade the Legislature on his fifth try to mandate drug testing of
welfare recipients in Louisiana. Republican Rep. John LaBruzzo's House
Bill 7 is scheduled for a Wednesday hearing in the House Health and
Welfare Committee. Though he's gotten it out of committee before,
LaBruzzo has repeatedly failed... Full
story »

A Senate committee gave 4-3 approval today to Rep. John
LaBruzzo's controversial proposal to randomly drug test at least 20
percent of Louisiana residents on cash welfare programs, with the
marathon hearing coming one week after LaBruzzo had a testy exchange
with the panel chairwoman after she adjourned without hearing the bill.
LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, casts House Bill 617 as a... Full
story »

Over Rep. John LaBruzzo's protests,
one of the Senate's three
Judiciary Committees adjourned today without hearing the Metairie
Republican's controversial bill to require drug testing of at least 20
percent of applicants for state cash assistance programs. Chairwoman
Yvonne Dorsey told LaBruzzo his House Bill 617 would be first on the
committee's agenda next week. After a brief entreaty to Dorsey... Full
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Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie,
endured some ribbing Wednesday on
his way to a 61-27 House vote in favor of his proposal to expand drug
testing of certain recipients of cash public assistance. House Bill 617
now moves to the Senate, where it is likely to face more probing and
amendments. In its latest form, the bill would require the... Full
story »xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rep. John LaBruzzo delayed a hearing on his bill to demand
drug-testing of all welfare recipients while he works on amendments to
ensure that the measure passes constitutional muster. But the changes
he has in mind don't get to the root of the problem: this is a
misguided piece of legislation that will cost the state money without
solving... Full
story »
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Worried that welfare costs are rising as the number of taxpayers
declines, state Rep.
John
LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, said
Tuesday he is studying a plan to pay poor women $1,000 to have their
Fallopian tubes tied. "We're
on a train headed to the future and there's a bridge out, " LaBruzzo
said of what he suspects are dangerous demographic trends. "And nobody
wants to talk about it." LaBruzzo said he worries that people
receiving government aid such as food stamps and publicly subsidized
housing are reproducing at a faster rate than more affluent,
better-educated people who presumably pay more tax revenue to the
government. He said he is gathering statistics now... Full story